The Willing and the Ungrateful
by TheBarberTodd-IAmMrsLovett
Summary: This is based off of my roleplay with another rper. Mr. Todd decides that warming Mrs. Lovett's bed by night would be alright. What will happen though when more comes of it than he had planned?
1. The First Encounter

**AN: This fanfiction is the rewriting of a roleplay bewteen myself, C, and my friend E on Tumblr. Our roleplay blogs are: TheBarberTodd (me) and IamMrsLovett (E). We wanted to do this so that any future followers that did not know all the drama that goes on between our characters would have a reference to look at without having to dig through our archives to do so! (Especially since we tend to have very long roleplay threads that go on for a long time XD) **

_**Chapter One: The First Encounter**_

Mr. Todd found himself alone in the tonsorial parlor on this particular night. It had been a long day and he had just sent his last customer down the chute to the bakehouse below. His floor was covered in the remnants of the man's life blood, growing sticky and thick as it dried. Looking down at his hands they were also covered in the darkening liquid, as was his shirt. Sighing at the mess he took one of his blades and began to sharpen it on the strop.

"Mrs. Lovett," he called down to the now closed pie shop, "come here." After a few moments he heard light footsteps on the stairs as she approached the parlor. Mrs. Lovett opened the door slowly and closed it softly behind her, taking small but delibrate steps toward the barber.

"Yes, love? What is it?" She asked as she watched him sharpening the knife and took in the bloody mess on her hardwood floors. She gave an inward sigh at the damage the boards would be taking from all of Sweeney's victims.

Not bothering to stop sharpening his razor he glared at her, taking in her expression and figure. She was standing there, hand on her hip, leaning slightly to her right as she watched him back. "I need you to wash this shirt for me,"he said coldly after a moment. "I'm afraid I haven't any fresh ones left." Setting the blade aside, he took the shirt by the hem and pulled it over his head. "It's bloody like the others," he commented as he tossed her the shirt.

"Oh," she said as she caught the shirt. Sighing slightly she folded it neatly and held it by her side. "Sure." As she turned to leave he cleared his throat.

"Oh, and Mrs. Lovett..." he said, causing her to turn back towards him. "I suppose that tonight is a rather cold night. If your bed needs... warming, then I suggest you say so now. I am a very busy man."

"I-I, well..." she stuttered, suddenly fumbling with the shirt in her hands, "if... you want to..." A small smile graced her lips but she wouldn't meet the barber's eyes, instead preferring to stare at the reddened floorboards.

"I did not ask what I wanted," was his immediate and cold reply. "I believe I asked what you wanted. If you prefer the chill of the London air, I will stay here tonight as I always do. As you can see since you refuse to look up from the floorboards, I have some cleaning up to do here. So, unless your answer is a definitive yes, I suggest you leave." He took his razor back into his hands, examining it in the lamplight and running a thumb over the flat of the blade.

Mrs. Lovett's gaze was quickly drawn upward toward the barber. "Y-yes!" She exclaimed, biting down on her lower lip as she realized she had shouted the answer. "Yes," she said again after a moment in a much calmer tone.

Setting down the blade once more he glared coldly at her for a moment in hesitation. Clearing his throat he walked towards her. "Well then," he said as he turned out the lamp light, taking her hand there after in a rough grip, "lead on."

Gasping at the sudden contact she nodded and began to lead him down the stairs and through the pie shop to her parlor. Once there she took him through the door on the left wall and into her bedroom. The room was small and quaint with a marriage sized bed (a left over from her marriage to Albert), a small wardrobe against the right wall, and a vanity table with a cracked mirror and a hair brush lying on the surface against the left.

Taking in his surroundings, Mr. Todd stood quietly for a moment. Mrs. Lovett watched him closely, still unsure of whether he had truly meant what he had offered or if he had a more malicious intent towards her. Looking through the open doorway she saw Toby sleeping on the sofa in her parlor. Smiling softly at the sleeping boy she closed the door gently and locked it, hoping that any noise would not make it through to the child on the other side whether things went nicely or not.

Mr. Todd watched her as she did this, taking in her apprehensive expression and slightly shaking form. She was scared, but he knew that soon enough she would be alright; once she knew he meant her no harm in this room she would relax. He sat down in the chair at the vanity table and began to remove his boots. Once removed of them he stood once more and gestured for her to move forward into the room.

"Turn," he said once she looked back towards him. Raising an eyebrow at him she stepped further into the room and did as he bid her, facing the locked door. Stepping behind her he heard a small trembling sigh come from her small frame. Placing his hands gently on her arms he leaned against her and whispered into her ear. "I don't have any razors with me... I can do you no harm nor will I attempt to. You have nothing to fear." He felt her shiver at the sensation of his breath on the sensitive skin of her neck.

Biting back a moan of anticipation she nodded with a small: "O-oh," escaping her lips. Stepping back from her slightly Mr. Todd began to unlace her dress. Once finished with the laces he pulled the dress slowly down off of her arms and to her waist, revealing the black corset beneath. Once the laces of the undergarment were uncovered he began to untie those as well.

"Pretty women and their fashion," he mumbled to himself as he worked the laces. The corset began to loosen and he felt her breathing deepen now that the restricting sensation was no longer encasing her rib cage so closely. Feeling herself smirk at the comment she bit back a giggle.

"Mmm, Mr. Todd," her voice was slightly filled with mirth but was still lowered in fear of waking Toby or angering the barber. He pulled the dress the rest of the way down before finishing the laces and pushing the corset from her body causing it to fall to the floor in front of her. Feeling the sudden chill of the room against her bare chest she shivered slightly.

He hesistated a moment before gently turning her to face him. Taking in her sudden near nakedness he felt the tension building in his groin. He had not thought that she would be nearly so attractive as he found her. He had merely intended to use her as a way to release himself but looking at the round, perky breasts and the freshly washed pale skin that glowed against the candle light he knew it would be more satisfying than he had thought to take her.

She watched as he took her in, shivering once more as she saw a flicker of hunger in his eyes. Her breath stopped momentarily when his cold and hardened gaze met her own again. As dangerous as he was, and she knew that he was, he was still beautiful... and she still loved him whether he was the same Benjamin Barker that rented her loft fifteen years ago or this new... monstruos man bent on revenge. So even though she knew very well that he could harm her, even kill her, she wanted him to touch her. She waited so long... seventeen years for his touch.

"Sit on the bed." He instructed suddenly, his cold gaze never leaving hers. She gave a small nod and stepped back towards the bed until she felt the edge bump against the back of her knees. Sitting down she faced him and watched as his eyes flickered once again with that sudden hunger. She watched him back with intensity, her body rigid as she waited for his next action. A small frown was on her lips as she waited, still so unsure of how the night would end.

Mr. Todd came forward and kneeled in front of her, the scars on his bare chest illuminated in the candle light, his muscles toned from the work he had done while incarcerated. Seeing the slight fear in her expression he matched her gaze again.

"Don't worry," he said softly. "I'm only going to remove your stockings. If I'm going to undress you... I'm going to complete what I started." Lifting up her feet he removed her shoes and placed them on the floor by the bed post. Lifting up her skirts he ran his hand along her thighs, causing the skin to tremble lightly where he touched it. Small goose bumps formed from the cold sensation of his fingers running over the fabric. Her heart began to beat faster at the contact, and a small gasp parted her lips. Not wanting to interrupt him by making a comment she bit her lower lip and averted her gaze as he hand traveled further up her thigh.

Reaching the waistband of her stockings he hooked his fingers underneath it on either side and pulled them slowly down her legs revealing the soft, pale flesh of her shapely legs. Her skin tingled as she felt the cloth strip away and she felt the heat rising within her as he examined the newly exposed skin.

Standing after a moment he held out his hands for her to take them. Once she did he pulled her up in only her skirts and a pair of bloomers left on her slim figure. Not taking his eyes away from her own he slipped his thumbs beneath the skirts over her hips and pulled them gently down, letting them fall to the floor around her feet. He took a quick look at the skin of her thighs and the exposed curves of her hips, the pressure of his pants growing tighter as he noted the sultry form that was hidden beneath the dresses all this time.

Her breath hitched as he once more hooked his fingers under the waistline of her last remaining garment, his eyes following as the bloomers were pulled slowly down her hips and onto her thighs, falling to the floor among the removed skirts. She felt her face growing slightly warm as he took in the sight between her thighs before moving his eyes back up to her own. He smirked at her as he stepped back.

"Unless you intend to undress me yourself, Mrs. Lovett," he said as reached to undo his belt, "I suggest you cover yourself with a blanket until I've finished. London is a cold place, you'll shiver." She raised an eyebrow at him, stepping forward and placing a hand over the ones that were working at his belt.

"I'm not that fragile, Mr. T..." she said softly as she slid her fingers up his abdomen slowly, marveling at the softness of the hair on his muscled stomach. He raised an eyebrow back at her, stiffening at the touch of her hand to his skin. His gaze was intense but she fought back the fear and matched it. Slowly he relaxed against her touch and nodded.

"Well, then," he said as his gaze softened. "Go on." She gave a slight smirk before kneeling down in front of him. She removed his belt slowly, her face only two inches from the bulge in his pants. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at it. Before going to undo the laces of his trousers her hand hovered over the bulge. She touched it lightly before pressing her palm against it softly. He tensed slightly and she gave it a gentle squeeze.

A low growl emenated from Mr. Todd then and for a second Mrs. Lovett feared she had angered him. She quickly removed her hand and gazed up at him only to find that he had closed his eyes. It dawned on her then that the growl had been one of... pleasure. Smirking she pulled the laces loose and began to slowly pull at the fabric of his pants, bringing them down far enough for his erection to emerge.

Taking a moment to look at it she swallowed at the sight. She had waited so long to become to intimate with him and now before her standing proudly was what she thought she'd never see of him... and all because of her. She pulled the pants down the rest of the way and was about to touch the shaft of his erection when he suddenly pulled her to her feet.

Shock and fear rose up for a moment within her until she felt him lay a hand on her hips. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards for a moment before she felt his hands sliding down her thighs. She gasped as she felt him lift her into his arms. One arm was holding her beneath her knees and the other around her shoulders. He carried her to the bed, dropping her onto it slightly roughly before laying over her and supporting himself with his elbows on either side of her.

She raised her eyebrow at him again and her heart beat hiked up as well at the feeling of him so close to her in their naked forms. She took a sharp breath as she met his hungry gaze. He ran a hand along the side of her face then.

"You can kiss me, Mrs. Lovett..." He said in a husky voice that made her spine shiver. "For tonight we can forget certain... boundaries." As he spoke his hand brushed back a stray auburn curl from her face. Before she had time to act though he warned her. "Just don't forget that tomorrow you return to the baker who rents me her loft and I the barber upstairs."

She looked at his lips for a moment, a sad expression lingering on her face for a brief second. She wrapped her arms around his neck slowly then. Leaning towards him she hesistated a heart beat before meeting her lips to his. The kiss began slowly, a sort of initiating process as she tried to focus her thoughts on only what would happen tonight and not the morning which would come far too quickly. A feeling of relief flooded her chest at the sensation of finally being able to touch him as only Lucy had been able to prior. If only for just one night.

Mr. Todd began to deepen the kiss, entering her mouth with his tongue, his hand tangling itself in her hair. He allowed his body to lay against her though still supporting his weight. He growled lightly against her lips, biting gently down on the lower one as he broke the kiss. She moaned quietly and closed her eyes before reattaching their lips and taking dominance herself. He wrapped his arms underneath her, pulling her with him as he sat up, the kiss never breaking. He laid back down with her on his chest and nothing between them since she did not need to support her weight over him.

Breaking the kiss once more he looked at her as she opened her eyes.

"Say no any time that you like. I may be a murderer but I am certainly no rapist." His tone was even as he spoke and his eyes had gone more tender than she had ever seen them before. Smirking down at him she kissed him again. Placing her lips by his ear she whispered in the most sedictive tone she could muster:

"Touch me."

He sat up once more and she wrapped her legs around him to keep from falling from his embrace. He leaned forward so that she fell back against the bed and laid himself over her once more. Pinning her arms down by the wrist on either side on her he began to kiss his way down from her lips to her collarbone, placing a small bite there. He continued the line of soft brushes of his lips down to the valley between her breasts.

She moaned softly at the feel of his lips where no man, not even Albert had kissed her in years. Not since she was sixteen had she been touched there and that was a very long time ago. She tangled her fingers lighly in his hair, surprised that the seemingly coarse black hair was as soft as she had often imagined the feathery brown hair from his youth. Another moan escaped her lips when his lips encased the nipple of her left breast, his teeth grazing the skin and placing a small bite of the nub before sucking on it greedily. She arched her back, her stomach pressing up against the muscles of his abdomen.

"Mr. T..." she moaned as he worked. Replacing his lips with a hand he moved on to the right breast, giving it the same treatment while his fingers pinched and rubbed at the nipple of the left. She gasped a bit at the pinching but the pleasure won out as she moaned again. "Oh, Sweeney..." Her hands travelled down his back until they settled on his haunches, pulling him closer to her. He continued to move his trail of kisses down her over her stomach and past her naval. He hovered over her groin.

"Now would be the time to say no if you must," he said, his eyes travelling back towards her own, his tone once more tinted with a cold edge.

"I would never say no," she whispered breathlessly.

Looking away back down he spread her legs apart and placed his head between her thighs. He ran his tongue over her slit before taking her clitoris into his mouth and sucking on it. Her eyes widened and her back arched once more from the sudden pleasure. She moaned loudly. "Ah, God!" At the sound of her moans he delved his tongue into her entrance, moving a thumb to her clit and rubbing circles. Her breath quickened. "Mmmmmmmm, yes…A-Ahh! … the years haven't made you forget how to please a woman…" Her words came out breathlessly between moans that were getting harder to quiet.

Looking up at her he stopped then. A devilish smirk smeared across his face as he looked at her, panting hard as she sat up slightly to see why he had stopped.

"That may be, but," he said calmly as he looked at her, "have the years let you forget how to pleasure a man, Mrs. Lovett?"

She raised an eyebrow as she pulled away from him slightly. "Really..." she said, her voice slightly quavering. "Well, let me show you then." A smirk of her own graced her lips as she playfully pushed him onto his back and crawled on top of him. He allowed a smirk to cross his own lips as he watched her move over him.

"Go on, then... Nellie." She smiled as she heard him say her preferred name and leaned down so that they're faces were close enough for her to kiss him. She hesitated a moment before completing the contact softly, kissing from his lips, over his neck and down to his stomach. A growl escaped his throat as he felt her lips pressing against the skin of his stomach and continued to go further down.

She smirked up at him one final time before placing herself between his legs and gently kissing his testicles, her tongue darting over them. She looked in his eyes as she licked slowly up his throbbing member, a coy smile on her face. A deep groan emenated from him as he felt her tongue slide over the sensitive skin and a scowl appeared on his face. He tangled his hand in her hair, pushing her closer towards him.

She smirked again, loving that he was groaning because of her. Something she knew only Lucy would have garnered from him the past. Taking his member by the hand she began to stroke him softly causing him to groan once more.

Deciding suddenly that he did not want to play cat and mouse with her he sat up and pushed her onto her back once more. "Brace yourself," he warned as he guided himself into her, automatically pumping harshly against her at a quickened pace. She gasped at the sudden intrusion and frowned slightly as the pain of his aggressive fucking took over her. When the pain began to subsist she let out a low moan and put her arms around her shoulder, her face burying itself against his shoulder.

He continued to pump harshly into her, fueled by her moaning beneath him. After a moment though he turned to the side laid back, pulling her with him so that she would be stradling his waist. "Prove to me," he said as he helped her adjust so that his cock was back inside of her with small wimper on her part and a grunt from him. "Prove to me, Mrs. Lovett... that you can pleasure a man as well as I know you can."

Her breath quickened and she raised an eyebrow down at him, trying to contain herself from bucking her hips even as he spoke. A determination welled up in her as she saw the cold fire in his eyes. "If you want me to," was her fast response. She began to rock her hips as she sat atop him, lifting herself slightly with her feet against the bedspread with each pump, bringing herself down on him. Each time she felt him enter her completely she groaned anew.

Before he could stop it, having planned on restraining himself, an impassioned groan escaped his own lips. "Eleanor..." he said as she continued to buck against him, his own hips rising to meet hers as her hands pressed lightly against his chest. His own hands found her waist, holding her tightly as he neared closer and closer to climax.

Her own climax was what ultimately brought him to his own, her walls closing in pulses around him and her moaning intensifying.

"Nellie!" He groaned as he gritted his teeth and let his seed loose within her. She collapsed on top of him then, her legs clinging tightly against his sides as the aftermath of her own climax rolled through her. She was panting slightly as she lay against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her he held her tightly to him. After a moment the exhaustion from both the pleasurable night and the tiring day caught up to him and his eyes drifted shut.

As he entered the realm of sleep one last word escaped his lips: "Lucy."

Hearing the name of the woman she had tried so very hard to make him forget about for even just tonight, her heart stopped. She snuggled closer against his chest andfought back the tears rising up as she bit her lip. He would never be hers, would he?"


	2. The Second Encounter

**AN: This fanfiction is the rewriting of a roleplay between myself, C, and my friend E on Tumblr. Our roleplay blogs are: TheBarberTodd (me) and IamMrsLovett (E). We wanted to do this so that any future followers that did not know all the drama that goes on between our characters would have a reference to look at without having to dig through our archives to do so! (Especially since we tend to have very long roleplay threads that go on for a long time XD) **

_**Chapter Two: The Second Encounter**_

A few days later things were going as if that night had never happened. Mrs. Lovett had woken alone in her bed, wondering if it had only been a dream, Toby never knew what had happened only feet away from him in his mistress' room, and Mr. Todd treated Mrs. Lovett just as he always had prior to that evening. Though he had tried to ignore the urge to go to her in that state again, he could not push back the feeling he had gotten that night. It had almost felt as if he was with Lucy again, though he knew he wasn't. Still... his yellow-haired wife was not too dissimilar is size as the baker. He had easily been able to imagine that her curly locks of auburn hair were Lucy's blond waves and her small body his wife's.

He sighed as he set down his razor, once again at the end of a long day. He was sitting in his barber's chair but feeling the growing boredom and desire to have another encounter with his landlord, he stood.

"Mrs. Lovett," he called harshly for her as he went into the pie shop below him. "Are you occupied tonight?" He asked as she hurried into the now closed shop from her parlor. She turned her head slowly to the side as she looked at him, trying to ignore her heart beating quickly as she tried to guess his intentions. Swallowing down her fear she spoke quietly.

"No... 'm not." He stared at her himself for a moment after she spoke before speaking.

"There'll be a draft tonight, Mrs. Lovett. I don't want you to be cold..."

She bit her bottom lip after he spoke, looking down from his gaze. "Oh..." she said, swallowing once more as her anxiety boosted. "You know what, I think I'll be alright." Her voice was high-pitched and on edge as she continued to stare at the floor boards. Looking up she flashed him a quick smile before looking down once more.

A momentary frown appeared on his face before it returned to it's usual cold, stoney countenance. "Are you quite sure, Mrs. Lovett?" He asked carefully. "I wouldn't want you to change your mind halfway through the night. I won't tolerate being disturbed past midnight."

She sighed, her gaze not rising to his. "Well... I suppose..." her voice was quiet and slightly broken though she tried to settle it. "You know, I don't want to be cold either." With her last words she managed to lift her eyes to meet his own with a sad smile on her porcelain face.

He stared at her for a moment, taking in the expression on her face. "You know..." he began slowly, "it's not very late, I suppose. There should be light for another hour at most... What was it you were squabbling on about the other night? Dancing was it?" She nodded slowly, her expression clouded momentarily with a smile and a romantic gleam as she thought about dancing with him.

"Well then," he said as he stepped towards her. "Get dressed into whatever contraption you women wear for dancing. There's a dance hall a few streets down." His voice was still a bit gruff but he was trying to soften it. Turning on his heels he began to walk away before a thought crossed his mind and he faced her again. "Do you need help changing, Mrs. Lovett? The laces can be... work."

Her hope-filled eyes turned a more flirtatious gleam as she looked at him and smirked. "Oh, yes, darling. I think I'll need help." His own smirk returned to his gaunt face as he looked at her and he gestured with a wave of his arm for her to lead on through the parlor and into the bedroom.

"After you, Mrs. Lovett," he said with a slight bow of his head. Raising an eyebrow at him and grinning softly she walked slowly into the parlor, adding as much swing to her hips as she could without appearing to try. Following her through and into the bedroom he shut the door quietly and promptly shut the curtains on the window.

"Come here, Mrs. Lovett. You have nothing to fear," Mr. Todd assured her as he faced her again in the darkened room. Turning to look at him she took a deep breath in preparation, still not entirely trustful of his intentions, and walked to him slowly. Her eyes never left his as she went. When she was close enough she turned around so that her back faced him and pulled the sleeves of her dress down off of her shoulders slowly and silently.

Placing a cold pale hand on her shoulder he leaned in towards her ear and spoke in a slightly softened voice. "I mean it, Mrs. Lovett. On nights such as tonight... you have no reason to fear me." Moving his hand from her shoulder he began to silently work on the laces of her dress, his hands much more quick and deft since their last encounter; the muscle memory having taken over. She nodded slowly but kept her mouth shut as her eyes closed and she sighed softly as he worked.

Once the laces of her dress were undone Mr. Todd pulled the dress gradually from her body until it fell in a pool of cloth around her feet. When the fabric hit the floor he stepped closer and encircled her thin waist in his strong arms, his grip tight and unyielding though not so menacing. He rested his head against the side of her own, his breath slow and steady as it tingled against her skin lightly. Softly his lips found the crook between her neck and her shoulder and Mr. Todd placed a small bite there only to replace it with a cold kiss.

Mrs. Lovett inhaled a sharp breath at the contact and sighed shakily in his embrace. "Mr. Todd..." she whispered to herself more than to him. Pulling his lips away from her skin lightly he kept his grip around her waist for a few moments longer.

"I suggest you find your dancing dress before you lose your corset and your underskirts first..." His voice was quiet but he relinquished his grip on her and stepped back to lean against the wall. She nodded and moved to her wardrobe. His eyes hardened as he watched her, what little emotion he had shown sliding back into him. Mrs. Lovett may not have had yellow hair nor was she Lucy, but she was at least something. "Try the dark purple one, Mrs. Lovett," he called gruffly as she began to sort through her small collection of dresses. His voice had been hard but not threatening though she still jumped a bit. "With your auburn hair... it would look nice."

She frowned and looked back at him with a quizzical stare. "Alright..." she said as she turned back and took the dress he had mentioned from the wardrobe. Mrs. Lovett was surprised he ever noticed what she even wore nonetheless what looked better on her. She walked to the bed with the dress in hand and laid it out out silently. Pushing away from the wall, Mr. Todd approached her and walked behind her.

"Allow me... Eleanor," he said softly as he took the dress and held it out for her to step into. She froze hearing him say her real name and looked at him with softened and hopeful eyes, not moving from her place by the bed. Shaking the dress a little he sighed in annoyance. "Well, come on. I'm not going to hold this dress all night. I'm a busy man." She swallowed and shook her head a bit.

"S-Sorry," she stammered in her nervous state as she stepped forward and into the dress. Mr. Todd pulled the dress up over her hips and held out the sleeves for her to push her arms through.

"Turn around once you've got your arms in, I'll lace you up," he said stiffly and once she had pushed her arms through and turned for him he began to tie the laces tightly. She stayed quiet while he worked still reflecting on how he had said her name as he had. With one final tug of the laces he stepped back only to move towards her a moment later. Reaching into her hair he began to remove every pin that he could find, letting her curls fall loosely around her shoulders.

"What... what are you doing?" Her voice quivered as she spoke, the uneasiness within her piercing her further as she felt his hands move through her hair. When he had finished finding all of the pins he guided her over to the mirror and placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Change can be a good thing, Mrs. Lovett," he said softly. "I... like it this way."

She looked at herself in the mirror and swallowed silently. "Well then... if you like it." Absentmindedly she tucked the curls behind her ears and moved her gaze to match his own in the reflection.

"Here," he said thoughtfully as he took a piece of black ribbon from her vanity table and tied a careful bow in the mess of curls on the back of her head. She looked at her reflection frowning a bit.

"I look... app- er, proper," she mused, not too thrilled with the look.

"You look... beautiful," he managed to say without any cruelty in his tone though it still held a tinge of it's usual hard edge. Stepping back from her he cleared his throat. "We should go now. Tell that boy of yours that we're leaving or he'll go out searching all of London for you."

Turning to face him she tilted her head to the side and bit her lower lip. "You think... I'm beautiful?" A small smile spread itself delicately on her face as she spoke. He let no emotion show on his own as he answered her.

"I do not repeat past words, Mrs. Lovett. We should go."

She sighed and nodded, walking out of the room to where Toby was sleeping in the parlor. She shook him awake gently and he opened his eyes with a wide yawn.

"Yes, ma'am?" He muttered tiredly, looking up at her. She smiled softly and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm going out for just a bit with Mr. T, but don't you go worrying, love. We'll be back before you know it." He looked worried but didn't argue with her.

"Okay, ma'am," he said as he nodded his head. "Should I wait up?"

"No, darling," she said with a sigh. "You can go right back to sleep and I'll see you in the morning as always," she promised with another kiss to his forehead. Standing she smoothed her skirts and went back to the bedroom. "Let's go," she said quietly.

He nodded and walked over to her, placing a hand on her waist as he guided her from the shop and into the streets of London. They walked the few streets to the dance hall in silence, his hand ever present on the small of her back as they walked. Once they were inside of the dance hall he grimaced at the noise of the people and the music as she lit up at the thought that she would soon be amongst them.

Guiding her to a small secluded table he took his jacket off and set it on the back of his chair after holding hers out for her to sit down. "Do you need refreshment, Mrs. Lovett?" Mr. Todd asked as he glanced towards the bar. "I can go get us a bottle of gin."

"Oh, mhm. Yeah, please, love," she said absentmindedly as she sat down in her chair and moved it closer to the table. Walking over to the bar he bought a bottle of gin and took two glasses with him back to the table as well. Setting them down he sat next to Mrs. Lovett and moved their chairs closer together.

"Here," he said gruffly as he poured the alcohol into the two glasses.

"Thank you, love," she said as she took her glass and drained it. He raised an eyebrow at her but she merely shrugged. "Want some?" Taking his own glass he took a slow sip and watched her intently, surprised at her brashness with drinking in public. He smirked however as he got a certain thought in mind and set his glass down slowly. Returning his face to stone he slipped a hand underneath the table and slowly drew her skirts high enough for his hand to go underneath them and into her bloomers.

She was pouring more gin into her glass when she felt her skirts moving and nearly spit the alcohol out as she felt his hand going beneath the fabric of her undergarments. "Mr. T!" She whispered in astonishment as she looked at him with widened eyes. "Everyone can see us!"

Placing a finger to his lips with his free hand he whispered back, "not if you stay quiet. We're in the back in the shadows. I want to see just how much self control you have over yourself before we begin our dancing..." He moved his chair even closer to hers and pushed his hands further down her bloomers. She swallowed and bit her lips, suppressing a moan that she knew was coming soon.

He leaned in towards her and whispered softly into her ear. "Don't look so tense... you'll draw attention." He brushed his fingers lightly over her sex and smirked against her ear before moving back from her. Looking down she let out a quiet moan. Mr. Todd continued to smirk as he slid one finger into her entrance and pumped it softly and gradually. Using his free hand he filled their glasses to the brim with gin and took a sip of his own before sliding her glass over to her on the table. "Don't spill it, now," he warned gently before leaning into to her ear once more. His tone acquired a harsh and yet husky ring to it. "As far as these idiots of London know, we're simply a man and his wife enjoying a glass of gin in the corner."

She moaned a bit louder at his ministrations but kept her tone as quiet as she could. Her eyes widened as she took the gin glass and tried to quell the shaking in her hands. She took a sip and sighed in pleasure as he worked before looking in his eyes. "You know love," she managed to say softly despite the circumstances, "you're really naughty." Another small moan escaped her as he slid another finger into her and moved his digits a bit faster.

"Shhh..." he whispered as he spied someone looking their way. He pressed a kiss to her cheek with a smirk. "You're drawing attention to us, Nellie." She squirmed a bit but did not moan, biting her lip to keep it back as she tried to contain herself. "Talk to me..." He demanded as he continued, stroking his thumb across her clit and adding a third finger.

She could not stop the moan as he stroked her clit but she managed to keep it as soft as the others. Looking over at him she swallowed and prepared herself to try to talk. "D-Do you enjoy..." she paused to bite her lip as he hit one of her spots and closed her eyes before swallowing again and continuing, "the night, Mr. T?" He smirked at her suppressed moaning and took a sip of his gin before answering.

"Tonight is a nice night, Eleanor. Perhaps we should go out more often like this," he mused as he moved his fingers faster and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. She kissed him back and bit her lips as he moved away again, her breath quickening.

"Y-yes... mhm," she hummed in agreement and pleasure.

"The end is getting closer, try not to scream out," he said as he downed the rest of his gin and poured another glass. He began to run his thumb in relentless circles over her clit and moved his fingers as quickly as he could without making it obvious that he was in her skirts. She threw her head back slightly and closed her eyes again. "Ah, God..." she moaned quietly before sighing in relief as she came. He smirked a bit as he drew his hands out and pulled her skirts back into place.

"Don't go off to clean yourself up, we still need to dance," he said as he stood and put his jacket back on. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, still breathing a bit quickly.

"I don't know if my legs can support myself, love..." she said breathlessly. "They feel like jelly."

"Come now, darling. Just try." He said as he held a hand out to her to help her stand. She took a deep breath and pulled herself up by his hand. Mr. Todd lead her out to the dance floor and placed a hand on her waist, his other slightly higher on her back. A small smile graced her lips at their closeness and she put her hands on his shoulders softly, gazing up into his eyes. He began to move her through the steps slowly, allowing her to lean onto him for support.

"You look... in love, Mrs. Lovett," he mused softly, watching her eyes. She looked down immediately but kept dancing despite her heart beat quickening.

"Oh... really?" She asked as she swallowed a bit and kept her gaze away from his own.

"You're not very adept at hiding yourself. A woman in love will do many foolish things for the object of her desires..."

She looked up smiling a bit though the sadness in her gaze was not missed and shrugged slightly. "Probably." She admitted before biting her lips and looking down again.

"I'm a man but I'm not an idiot, Mrs. Lovett. My wife... Lucy... is dead. You are alive. If you love me, you can say so and it will not destroy something that is already dead."

"I won't ever be Lucy. I hope you know that," she said softly as she met his gaze again.

"No one will ever be Lucy," he said gruffly, tightening his grip on the small baker. His eyes hardened as he kept his gaze on hers, noting the slight fear in her eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed before continuing. "Lucy is... dead though. I do not love anyone else, but she is no longer here to stop others from loving me." She raised an eyebrow, not breaking the gaze and swallowing her fear.

"So you want to be loved but you give nothing back?" Her voice was cold and hard for once as she spoke.

"I said that I do not love anyone else, not that it isn't capable for me to love anyone else. Be careful, Mrs. Lovett. Remember where we are, _who _you're with."

Pulling away from him she stepped away from the dance floor. "I'm tired of being careful," she warned before turning and leaving the dance hall. Mr. Todd sighed and followed her out into the night. When he found her standing outside he grabbed her forcefully by the arm.

"Mrs. Lovett, do not risk everything by causing a scene." He warned bitterly. She struggled against his grip in vain and huffed.

"Let me go!" She demanded looking at him sternly. He pulled her closer to him and covered her mouth with a strong, forced kiss, pinning her arms down tightly as people passed them by. She struggled more for a moment before giving up and kissing him back passionately. Once the people had passed them by he pulled away but kept his grip on her.

"Come now, Mrs. Lovett. Let's go home," he muttered, beginning to guide her down the street by her arm. She bit her lip and pulled out of his grip walking ahead of him towards their shops. Once they got home he grabbed her arm again and forced her to face him in the empty storefront of her pie shop. She gasped a bit but he ignored her. "I may not love you as you have loved me, but that does not mean that I do not care for you at all. If I didn't, you wouldn't be here and you very well know it. Now, you may be angry with me, but I'm making the offer. Sleep up in my barber shop with me tonight. We don't have to do anything else."

"Oh, cause you actually want me to stay, Mr. T?" She said sarcastically, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Don't push things, Nellie," he said sternly though his eyes softened a bit.

"Alright," she conceded coldly, pulling from his grip again. He ignored that and took her hand in his own and guided her up the stairs and into his tonsorial parlor. Once there he lit a lamp and set it on the nightstand before stripping his jacket, shirt, and boots. The scars on his back glimmered in the lamplight and his skin was given a yellow glow despite it's lack of coloring. Despite her anger and disappointment she still searched his body and took in each new detail that she could with interest.

"I'm not going to force you into anything. Undress yourself if you like, sleep fully clothed if you want to. Sleep in the chair even if you find that you might sleep more soundly there," he said as he stretched a bit before laying down in bed. She watched him still and sighed before taking her dress off slowly and laying it over the back of the barber's chair. She moved to the bed and laid down next to him.

"I hate you as much as I love you," she muttered as she turned onto her side, showing him her back. He smirked a bit and turned towards her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her to his chest so closely that he could feel her every curve against his torso and she could feel the muscles of his back and stomach against her back.

"You love me more than you hate me," he whispered definitively. She rolled her eyes but didn't move away from him.

"Of course I do," she muttered again before closing her eyes and allowing sleep to take her.


	3. A Silly Thought

**AN: This fanfiction is the rewriting of a roleplay between myself, C, and my friend E on Tumblr. Our roleplay blogs are: TheBarberTodd (me) and IamMrsLovett (E). We wanted to do this so that any future followers that did not know all the drama that goes on between our characters would have a reference to look at without having to dig through our archives to do so! (Especially since we tend to have very long roleplay threads that go on for a long time XD) **

_**Chapter Three: A Silly Thought**_

The next morning he had woken before her and gotten dressed for work as she slept. The sun had just risen when he finished setting up shop for the day. Walking over to the sleeping baker he woke her with a nudge to the shoulder. "Come on, Mrs. Lovett. It's daylight and you need to start preparing for your own work day downstairs." She groaned and opened her eyes slowly, squinting against the sunlight filtering into the room through the grimy windows. Hearing his words she nodded and sat up slowly, wiping the sand from her eyes with a yawn.

As soon as she had opened her eyes he had gone about sharpening his razors on the strop, preparing them for however many customers he would be seeing today. She watched him for a moment before pushing the blanket away and standing. He had moved her dress to the foot of the bed as he set up so she sighed and grabbed it in her hands. Stepping into it she pulled it up and over her arms. Twisting her hands behind her back she found the laces and started pulling on them until she reached the end. Turning to him she bit her lip before swallowing in preparation.

"Would you mind tying the end off for me?" She asked timidly. While he seemed all too eager to help her dress last night that had been last night and of his own accord, so caution was needed. He nodded stiffly and set down the razor he was working on. Eleanor walked over to him and turned, letting go of the laces once his hands grabbed them. He gave a pull to make sure they were tight and tied the ends in a strong bow so that they would not come undone during the work day. When he had finished he took his razor in hand again and without another word she left the tonsorial parlor and went down to her pie shop below.

Walking into her parlor she nudged Toby awake gently and smiled as he grinned at her. "Morning, ma'am," he said with a yawn. Leaning forward Eleanor placed a kiss on his brow and stroked his hair softly as she took the bottle of gin from his hands.

"Good morning, love," she said softly before standing and placing the gun bottle on the end table. "Come on, time to get up and help set up shop." The boy nodded and sat up, stretching his arms out as he did so. "I'm gonna get started on breakfast for you and Mr. T, why don't you wipe down the tables and make sure the floor and the counters are dusted and cleaned."

"Yes, ma'am," he said quickly, standing and heading out to the pie shop with eager intent to help his mistress. She sighed and a soft smile tugged at her lips. Toby was such a sweet and hard-working boy. If only he had been truly hers. She let the thought linger for a moment before shaking her head and going into the kitchens. Grabbing five eggs and a loaf of bread she set them on the counter and gathered a frying pan and some strips of bacon from the larder. Lighting the coals of the oven she set the pan over the fire and cracked the eggs one at a time, sliding them onto the pan. When all five were on their side of the pan she laid out the bacon and watched it as she cut the bread into slices, stirring and moving the cooking food as needed.

Grabbing three plates she put two of the eggs and a few strips of bacon with two slices of bread on one plate. She set the plate on a tray and poured ale into a mug, setting it beside the plate. Calling Toby into the kitchen she set two eggs and the rest of the bacon on a plate and slid it over the table to his chair. Coming into the kitchen he grinned and sat down.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said happily as he started eating. "You really are so good to me." Another soft smile graced her lips as she put the remaining egg and a slice of bread on her own plate and set it aside.

"I'll be right back now, love. Just going to take Mr. T 'is breakfast," she said with a sigh as she took the tray in her hands. Toby nodded as he ate and she walked quickly out of the kitchen and up to his parlor. Knocking on the door she sighed and waited for him to open it for her. When he did she walked swiftly in and set the tray on his counter top.

"Thank you," Mr. Todd managed to say gruffly as he sat on the stool by the counter. She nodded and moved to go out quickly, not really wanting to talk after last night. He noted her expression but remained silent and let her leave. Taking his breakfast he sighed and ate only about a third of what was on the plate. She was always trying to get him to eat more but he simply did not feel much hunger anymore and there was not much that provoked him to eat in the first place. Taking the rest he threw it into the alley below his parlor and flipped the sign on his door from 'closed' to 'open.'

Downstairs Nellie ate quickly and placed the dishes on the counter. Opening shop herself she dealt with her traditional morning rush of customers ever since Sweeney had come back. She set Toby about busily taking orders and refilling ale mugs and gin glasses. By the time she closed up shop for the day she was exhausted as usual. After helping Toby to clean up she gave him half a bottle of gin and sent him to bed. When at last she had a moment of silence she leaned against her serving counter and propped her head up on her elbows with a sigh.

At that moment Mr. Todd came down into the shop quietly and watched her for a moment in thought before making himself known. "Mrs. Lovett... you seem more melancholy than usual today. What's the occasion?" He asked as he walked towards the counter. She started at his words not expecting him there and frowned a bit looking at him before staring back out the window.

"I'm not."

"Don't lie to me, Mrs. Lovett. You're treading dangerous waters," he said as he stared coldly at her. "Something's on that mind of yours. Tell me."

She rolled her eyes and turned to look at him. "I don't have to tell you everything, Mr. Todd," she said stiffly before walking off towards her parlor. He watched her for a moment and sighed before following her into the small room.

"We're a partnership, Mrs. Lovett. Partners have to... trust each other on some level. So, come now? What happened?" He pressed lightly. "Did the boy mouth off? A customer repent?"

She sighed heavily and faced him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm just thinking..." she frowned slightly as she spoke, dropping her gaze from his eyes, "about... stuff. It's fine." She glanced back up into his eyes, biting the inside of her cheek before changing the subject in hopes of avoiding further discussion. "Have you seen the judge today?"

"No, I haven't," he said stiffly, staring back at her and studying her expression further. "You can tell me Mrs. Lovett; Eleanor. I will listen."

"Call me Nellie," she said with a sigh, smiling a bit and dropping her gaze again. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "You know I've just been thinking about... what happened between us. And I just... I don't know. I wonder what you think of me..." Finishing softly she bit her lip and kept her gaze on his boots.

"I don't think that you're a whore if that's what you're asking," he said simply, raising an eyebrow at her. "I thought I'd told you. You're an attractive and cunning woman, Mrs. Lovett- or Nellie I suppose. That should have been obvious to you."

Sighing a bit shakily in relief Nellie met his gaze again. "Really? You think I'm attractive... and cunning?" She let a small smile play on her lips at the thought.

"As any man would. Besides, had I thought you were a whore, I'd be paying you for more than just the rent for what lies between those thighs of yours," he smirked slightly as he spoke, leaning against the wall. Clearing his face of emotion however he straightened himself. "Now really. Was that all that was occupying your mind?"

She nodded lightly and sighed. "I just didn't want you to think I'm a whore. That's all."

"If you're sure then... There's really nothing else?" As he spoke he looked through the parlor window to see the last light of the day fading away and took a quick look for the boy. When he noticed that Toby had not chosen to sleep in the parlor he looked back to Nellie. "If that is indeed all that was on your mind... perhaps we should occupy ourselves in here for an hour or so."

She looked up slowly and raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Occupy ourselves, hmm?"

He smirked and locked the door to the parlor before shutting the curtains on the window. "Yes, occupy... Have a seat on the sofa, Mrs. Lovett." She bit her lower lip and walked to the sofa, sitting down slowly and keeping a watchful gaze on him.

Walking over to her he kneeled in front of the baker traced the form of her leg beneath her skirts. "May I?" He asked softly, looking up at her.

"As you wish, Mr. T," she whispered gently looking down at him.

Lifting her skirts he ran his hands along her thighs slowly until he reached the waistband of her bloomers. Pulling them softly down with her stockings he moved them over her feet, knocking off her shoes and letting the garments fall to the floor. Taking her skirts in his hands he moved them up to her hips and pushed her legs apart gently. Kissing up her thigh he felt her tremble lightly and smirked before licking across her entrance slowly.

She moaned quietly at the touch and let her head fall back softly as she closed her eyes. "Mr. T..."

He placed his hands on her thighs, stroking them with his thumbs as he began to swirl his tongue over her clit.

"A-ah..." she moaned a bit louder, pushing his head down further. He smirked at the pressure from her hands and gave a tiny bite to the inside of her thigh in response earning another moan as she tangled her fingers in his hair. "Ah, God," she sighed in pleasure.

However the pleasure didn't last as he suddenly thought of something that had not crossed his mind until that moment. He looked up from her lap and gave her an intense look, staring at her. She opened her eyes slowly to see why he had stopped, her breathing starting to quicken from the pleasure she had been receiving.

"Mrs. Lovett," he began quietly, "I've just had a thought. How well are you to bear children?"

She froze at the notion a bit surprised and frowned as she looked at him. "I-I love children. I've always wanted to have children actually."

"I meant... can you still have children?" He asked again cautiously, watching her closely.

"O-Oh... I thought you meant..." She paused and let out a small sigh, sitting up a bit straighter. "I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."

"Then perhaps..." he said slowly moving away from her a bit, "we should not continue as we have been. We wouldn't want any... surprises."

"Why not?" She asked as she looked into his eyes though he wouldn't meet her gaze. "Would it be that bad?" He sighed and sat next to her on the couch, pulling her skirts back down to cover her legs.

"I have a child already that I lost. Having another and not with Lucy... I'm not too sure how well that would work out, Mrs. Lovett." She rolled her eyes and looked down smiling a bit despite the sadness that she could feel rising through her.

"What a lucky woman she was," she whispered to herself.

"Now Mrs. Lovett, don't become bitter," he said softly grabbing her by the waist and hoisting her onto his lap. He stroked her hair aside and bit softly at her neck. "I never said we couldn't do other things in place of our... less redeemable activities." She bit her lip and moaned softly as he kissed her neck. Sighing she looked down away from him.

"I'm just a toy to you, aren't I?"

"Ah, but a very fun toy," he said with a smirk, biting her shoulder lightly. She frowned a bit but did not complain further, moaning quietly at his touch. "Relax, Nell. I didn't mean it. Would I be pleasuring you so much if you were merely a toy?" His voice still rang with a hard edge but it had grown much softer in her presence lately.

"Mmm," she bit her lip and turned towards him. Leaning in slowly she kissed him softly. "I know," she whispered against his lips. When she pulled off he looked at her strangely for a moment.

"That was fairly bold, Mrs. Lovett. Quite... new of you as of late."

"Everyone needs a bit of change, mm?" She looked into his eyes, tracing his lips lightly with her thumb before leaning in and kissing him again.

"Then perhaps we could..." his words died out as he leaned forward and bit softly at her neck again, his hands pushing her skirts back up and stroking her thighs. She smirked a bit feeling his touch on her leg and his teeth against her skin.

"Just tonight..." she whispered, "an exception..." Putting a hand on his chest she trailed her hand down his torso lightly, caressing the muscled skin beneath his shirt.

"Just tonight only?" He asked with his own smirk as he felt her hand traveling further down his chest. Her smirk widened and she kissed his neck softly.

"Oh, I wouldn't complain if you ever want me again... and again..." As she spoke she moved her kisses up to his jaw and back to his lips. "And again..."

He growled softly in pleasure before starting to untie the laces on the back of her dress while she kissed at his neck. She smirked against his neck as her hands found the laces of his pants and began to pull them loose, teasing him playfully through his pants and squeezing as she worked on them. He growled again as she squeezed him and pulled her dress and corset from her body. As soon as they were free from confinement he took one of her breasts into his mouth and suckled it, nibbling and swirling his tongue over her nipple.

She moaned closing her eyes and giving into the pleasure for a moment before pulling his pants down and off of his knees. He growled against her skin, giving her nipple a playful bite before guiding one of her hands to his erection. Another moan escaped her lips and she grabbed the shaft of his cock stroking it softly as he moved to kiss her. She kissed him back deeply and he groaned darkly as she worked his member with her small hands. He bit softly on her lower lip as she moaned again.

"Mrs. Lovett," he growled against her lips causing her to smirk once more.

"Call me Nellie..." she whispered against his lips before moving from his lap and kissing her way from his lips down his chest and over his stomach. Sliding off of the couch she kneeled in front of him and settled herself between his knees.

"I think... I prefer... Nell," he said slowly as he looked down at her.

"As you wish..." she replied softly, giving playful kisses along his shaft on the head of his erection, winking up at him. He placed a pale hand in her auburn curls grunting slightly as she licked up his member from the base to the tip. She smiled a bit and took him in her mouth slowly, taking him completely in before slowly letting him slide out and taking him in again. He pushed lightly against the back of her head then.

"Nell... you're a bloody wonder, you are..." he said softly in pleasure. She smirked again and licked at his member again, pumping his shaft lightly with one of her hands and looking up at him.

"Thank ya, love," she said with another wink before taking him back into her mouth and sucking on the tip before bobbing her head as she took more of him in. He groaned in pleasured as she worked before pushing away from her and pulling her back up onto the couch. Leaning over her he spread her legs apart and moved himself between them. He encased her lips with his own and guided his cock into her slowly with one hand while his others squeezed one of her breasts softly.

She moaned loudly, arching her back as she deepened the kiss and wrapping her arms around his neck as she closed her eyes. He pumped into her hard and fast, moving his lips to bite down on her shoulder.

"Aaaah-ugh! Mr. T!" She screamed his name, not really caring at that moment who would hear her. Another loud moan escaped her soon afterward. It didn't take long for her to climax and he came into her soon after, pulling out slowly causing her to moan slowly at the feeling of him leaving her. He grabbed her waist and pulled her up with him as he sat up, pulling her onto his lap. She adjusted herself so that her legs were on either side of his own and kissed his nose. Her arms kept their grip around his neck and she pressed her chest against his, wanting to be as close as she could be. He tucked a strand of her auburn hair back behind one of her ears and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. Not letting go of her waist he laid onto his back and brought her down on top of him.

"Good night, Nellie," he whispered softly into her ear. She snuggled her face against his chest and pressed a soft kiss there as she closed her eyes.

"Night, love..." she murmured softly, stroking his chest as she fell asleep.


	4. Aching

**AN: This fanfiction is the rewriting of a roleplay between myself, C, and my friend E on Tumblr. Our roleplay blogs are: TheBarberTodd (me) and IamMrsLovett (E). We wanted to do this so that any future followers that did not know all the drama that goes on between our characters would have a reference to look at without having to dig through our archives to do so! (Especially since we tend to have very long roleplay threads that go on for a long time XD) **

_**Chapter Four: Aching**_

A few hours after they had fallen asleep on the couch Nellie had actually woken before Sweeney had. Sighing she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked down at him, the usual ache in her heart starting to build up as she watched him in his sleep. She could feel herself rising and falling with his breath as she lay on top of him and it was an odd feeling. Not a bad one per say but one that she was not used to. After all, Sweeney had actually been the only man who bothered to hold her to him after love making and certainly the only man whom had ever wanted her to stay atop him in any manner. All Albert had ever done was simply move to the side and turn away from her with a dismal, in-affectionate 'goodnight, Nellie,' thrown in there simply because he was her husband.

Which is why it both particularly hurt Nellie that Sweeney did this even though he did not love her like all the rest of the men in her past, but also filled her with an aching warmth. It was nice to be held and even nicer still by someone she loved so dearly and had waited so long for him to even so much as touch her hand. Sighing, she moved as softly as she could from his embrace, taking his arms and moving them slowly to his side from her body. Sitting up and straddling his waist she took one last look down at him and bit her lip. Silently admonishing herself in her head she leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss and removed herself from him completely.

Nellie took the blanket from the back of a chair and wrapped it around her shoulders as she continued to watch him and the ache in her heart continued to grow. After a moment she shook her head slightly and crept back to her bedroom where she locked the door and rested her head against it, trying to suppress the sobs she knew would come. Her body shook slightly as the force of the sobs fought her will and eventually they won out and she let out a shaky breath as the tears started to run down her cheeks through her lidded eyes. Pushing away from the door she wiped at her eyes in vain and essentially gave up as she grabbed a dressing gown from a chair back and let the blanket fall.

When the blanket fell she caught her reflection in the cracked mirror of the vanity table and sighed. She hated her reflection. When she was young she had hated it too but she knew if she had the choice she would have that body again instead of what she had now. She knew that she looked well for her age, better off than a lot of people as far as her body type, but what she would not give for her breasts to be higher and her waist a bit thinner. Not to mention the fact that with age came wrinkles. Her face for the most part was still smooth but she could not deny the laugh lines forming around the corners of her lips and the hinted crows feet at the outer edge of her eyes.

Swallowing she looked away from the image and drew the gown over her head, shivering slightly at the breeze caused by the swift movement of the fabric. Nellie ignored the still flowing tears and unpinned her hair, shaking it out and letting the curls fall around her shoulders loosely. She walked to her bed and pulled the covers back and got underneath them, letting herself fall asleep as quickly as the tears would allow.

Meanwhile in the parlor Mr. Todd had awoken about forty minutes later and ignored the fact that Nellie had already left. Seeing that it was still dark out he stifled a yawn and stood, stretching his arms behind his back and relieving the stiffness from his neck. Looking at the strewn clothing on the floor he sighed and found his pants, pulling them up and lacing them loosely. After he tucked his shirt back into place he gathered all of Mrs. Lovett's garments and folded them neatly, placing them outside of her door. When he had finished straightening up he unlocked the parlor door and walked past a still sleeping Toby in the pie shop. Once upstairs in his tonsorial parlor he found his bed and lay in it for the next few hours until sunrise, not really sleeping but rather day dreaming of his past; of Lucy and Johanna.

Xx

In the morning Nellie woke and yawned a bit as she pushed herself from bed. Sighing heavily she dressed herself for the day, tying the laces a bit more tightly on her corset than was needed. After she had fixed her hair she opened her door and looked a bit sadly at the pile of clothing. Leaning down she picked it up gently and laid it on her bed before closing her door and going out into the pie shop. She nudged Toby awake gently, taking his bottle of gin and placing it on the shelf with the rest of the liquor.

Toby sat up groggily and bid his mistress a good morning. She returned it softly and set about making breakfast while Toby got to his chores. When she took Mr. Todd his breakfast he had already been dressed and setting up shop for about an hour. They did not say anything to each other and she left in silence after he took the plate from her. They both opened shop and when the day had finished he made his way downstairs and into the empty pie shop.

Nellie had not heard him and as she was wiping down the counter she sighed and put her head in her hands knowing that Toby was in the kitchen and could not see her. "I promised myself I wouldn't do it again... but I just couldn't resist, could I?" She muttered to herself in defeat. Sweeney raised his eyebrow and approached the counter, tapping it lightly to get her attention. She looked up slowly and forced a smile.

"What did you promise yourself you wouldn't do?" He asked simply thinking it was something related to a customer or one of her acquaintances. She let the smile falter for a second and sighed, pushing off of her elbows and straightening herself.

"You," Nellie stated softly not meeting his gaze and starting to clean the counters once more to keep her hands busy. He scoffed a bit and raised an eyebrow.

"Me? Am I truly so..." he paused for a moment in thought. "How was it you put it when I first arrived here? Beautiful was it?" He smirked at her for a moment before going into his pocket to retrieve one of his razors to examine it as they spoke.

"Yes. You are," Nellie answered stiffly, raising her own eyebrow at him and stopping her cleaning. She let go of the rag and and walked around the counter and attempting to pass him. As she moved by him he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"If it will put your mind at any ease, Mrs. Lovett. You are quite... beguiling yourself."

She bit her lip as he spoke and when he finished she looked up into his eyes softly. "Thank you," she spoke quietly, swallowing slightly.

"Would I be so... invested in your personal... interests had I not thought you more than the average street rat of London?"

"Yes. Oh, yes," she said absently trying not to let that aching emotion take over her in front of him as she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"That reminds me," he said as he let go of her arm and put his razor away, "let the boy take over watching the shop for tonight. We can... eat together upstairs tonight," he finished giving her a slight smirk. Even though she desperately wished she had the voice to say no, the thought of dinner alone with him gave her a small smile and she met his gaze again.

"Okay..."

"Oh, and Mrs. Lovett..."

"Mmh, what love?" Nellie answered, her smile still soft on her lips.

He smirked and pulled her against him suddenly earning a small gasp of surprise from the baker. He kissed the base of her neck and bit the flesh there softly before growling in her ear. "Don't be late."

She could not help but let a small moan escape her as he bit at her neck and the growling sensation by her ear earned a shiver down her back. Closing her eyes she breathed in his scent while he still held her. She could smell the perfume of the shaving lather in his shirt and the smell of smoke probably from a customer whom had been wise enough to bring someone with him. "Surely not..." she whispered softly against his chest, treasuring the feeling of his strong grip and the movement of his chest with each steady breath.

Sweeney pushed her away gently and tried to ignore the sudden wanting he felt in his groin as he looked at her. Nellie was in her thirties but she certainly held herself together much better than a lot of women her age and even younger. He hardly even noticed the things that she criticized herself for, in fact there was something about the way that she had aged since he had known her fifteen years ago that made her even more appealing to him than she had been then. Clearing his throat he acquired a serious tone once more. "Go on then, back to work cleaning up before the boy starts worrying that you've gone missing."

Nellie nodded, her small smile remaining despite the ache she could feel building up again once he had let go of her. She took her rag and walked back behind the counter. Despite herself she could not stop adding a bit more sway to her hips as she went. As much as this new found tryst between them was killing her, she wanted him to want her.

Xx

Going back upstairs Mr. Todd set about cleaning his own shop after the busy work day. He had to scrub the blood from the floorboards and the splatterings from the walls and windowpanes. As usual he also cleaned the chair and his counter tops, keeping up appearances for the customers he let live; after all he could not kill them all and expect a steady business. Rather he had a system of killing the last one in before his breaks and the last one in before he closed shop so that he had time to clean up in between. So he really only killed about four people every day or even less.

When he had finished cleaning he knew that it would still be quite a while before Nellie made her way upstairs for dinner since her shop had a lot more uptake than his own and undoubtedly she was spending time with Toby first. He made the decision to use the remaining hour or so to sneak quietly down to the kitchen. After listening at the door and making sure that Nellie had finished in there he went in and started rifling through the pantry for something he could make for their dinner.

Finding some uncooked pasta that Nellie had probably bought from the market he took it and stoked the fire in the oven. Filling the large kettle with water he placed it over the file and waited for it to boil before pouring the noodles in. While they cooked he set about looked for any tomatoes and spices that Nellie would have for the sauce. He set about cutting the tomatoes and heating them over the coals on the oven and adding what spices he had found. When he finished the sauce he checked the noodles and took them off of the fire with a rag. Dousing the flames he took the meal upstairs on two plates and set them on the small table he had in the corner of his shop.

Meanwhile downstairs in the parlor Mrs. Lovett had just gotten Toby to go to bed and had gone into her bedroom to prepare herself for dinner with her partner. She had changed from her usual black working dress that she wore most days into a more fashionable dress that she had bought not long ago. It was black with patterns of red throughout it and red underskirts though she knew he probably would not care if he even noticed. She fixed her hair back into place, fixing the pins where her hair had pulled loose. She took a glance at the mirror and smirked in appreciation for the fact that her breasts had grown since she was a young woman and therefore stuck out just a bit more when she wore corsets."He better find me sexy..." she muttered to herself as she pushed her chest up just a bit more before walking swiftly out of the room and up to the barber shop.

Upstairs Sweeney could hear her small footsteps as she approached the door. Not bothering to get up he called out to her instead from his seat at the table as she neared."The door is open, Mrs. Lovett." She smiled when she heard him and she could feel the excitement building in her chest as her heart raced faster. It was only a simple dinner but he had never asked to eat with her before and that thrilled her that he was interested in sharing something so normal. Taking a quick breath she exhaled and opened the door, entering slowly and closing it shut behind her.

"Have a seat, Mrs. Lovett," he said, gesturing to the chair opposite his side of the table. She nodded and walked to the table, sitting down carefully and sighing a bit her smile pulling lightly along her face. After she had taken her seat Sweeney removed the cloths he had placed over the plates to reveal the pasta. She raised her eyebrow in surprise having expected something much simpler from him. He smirked darkly at her and sat up a bit straighter in his seat. "You are not the only one who can cook, Mrs. Lovett."

"That's really sweet of you to go to so much effort, love," she said sweetly, meeting his gaze lovingly despite herself. Her heart was still fluttering at the thought that he was doing this for her. She bit her lips a bit as she tried to look less desperate and looked down at her food. He ignored her stares altogether and had already begun to eat.

"Have you told the boy that you won't be downstairs tonight?" Mr. Todd asked casually as he swirled his fork on the plate. As soon as he spoke she swallowed a bit and started to eat as well.

"Oh... y-yes, I did..." she said softly after swallowing a bite.

"Good. I'd like for you to sleep up here again tonight with me," he said, continuing to focus on his food rather than on her.

"Sleep, mmh?" She pushed her food around a bit and kept her gaze low, finding that she really did not have much of an appetite. However, wanting to please him and show him that she enjoyed the cooking, which really is was very good for someone she did not even know could cook more than an egg in a frying pan, she continued to eat.

"Among other things," he smirked and looked up at her though looked away again soon after. She felt her own smirk tug at the corners of her lips and lifted her gaze to his only to find that he already looked back at his plate.

"It tastes really good, Mr. T," she complimented him, taking the time he was looking away to examine his face and his chest as it rose it fell with each breath. She liked that he was clean shaven, it was much better than in the past when Albert had had that horrible beard. Besides, in her opinion cheekbones like that should never be hidden behind hair.

"It's not one of your meat pies, but did you honestly think that Lucy did all of the cooking back then?" After he spoke he took a drink of his ale and look at her for a moment, examining the expressions on her face. Nellie held in a sigh and stopped herself from rolling her eyes as he mentioned his former wife and took a drink from her own ale mug.

"I don't know and I don't care," she answered truthfully as she started to eat again. Glancing back at him she gave a quick faked smile and dropped her gaze again. He stared at her darkly for a moment and then stood and pushed the plate away from him. Walking over to her side of the table he grabbed her arm and forced her up from her seat. He gripped her arms tightly in his hands and kept his gaze cold on her, sending shivers of fear down her spine. She inhaled a sharp breath and bit her lip as her breathing stopped in preparation for the blow she was sure he was going to land her.

Sweeney smirked at her maliciously and pulled her against him, moving his hands to her waist and giving her a strong, forceful kiss. He bit down on her lower lip slightly harder than he usually did, drawing blood. The initial surprise and shock that had filled her melted into a confusion laced with pleasure and pain. She moaned slightly as her lip bled and when he pulled away she looked into his eyes with apprehension, frowning slightly. "Mr. T?"

He did not answer with words rather took her lower lip between his own and gently sucked on it until the bleeding had quelled. His grip on her waist had become iron tight and he allowed no space to exist between their bodies, making sure he could feel every curve of her figure that he could and that she could feel the hardness of his wanting against her hips. "You're becoming a bold one Mrs. Lovett," he said softly, examining her face once again as he spoke. She licked her lips slowly never breaking eye contact as he spoke. She could feel his erection against her hip and her own breathing was already quickening. Underneath her skirts she could already feel the wetness soaking through her bloomers and with a sudden burst of courage she leaned up and kissed him, her hands going into his hair and behind his neck as they pulled him closer.

The kiss was fierce and she was determined to show him exactly how much she loved and wanted him as her tongue fought his. She rubbed her hips against his earning a growl and as she pulled away she kept her hands in his hair, stroking it lightly. Without a word he grabbed her waist and hoisted her up and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist with a small gasp. He leaned back against the wall and kissed her again with intensity.

She moaned into the kiss and stroked his hair, pressing her hips against his stomach and hoping that he would feel the heat from her arousal through the layers of skirts and undergarments that were becoming increasing restrictive to her breath and to her comfort. As they kissed he began walking them back towards the bed, dropping her roughly onto the mattress in his haste to get her onto her back. She gasped a bit and leaned on her elbows to look up at him. Without hesitation he moved himself over her, kicking his shoes off and throwing her own to the floor.

Taking her dress in his hands he tore the skirt from the waistline without a second thought and threw it to the side. As much as she loved the dress she did not care and set about immediately untying the laces of his pants, grabbing his erection through the fabric and teasing him. He growled at her touch and pulled her underskirts and her stockings off hastily revealing her legs and her bloomers. He smirked as he noticed the small stain forming on the bit of fabric covering her entrance. As he looked she smirked and pulled his pants down to his knees, taking his erection in hand and pumping it slowly.

He closed his eyes and let out a dark groan, feeling the pleasure build from her small hands. Opening them back up he looked down at the floor and scoffed before removing her bloomers and throwing them atop the rest of her garments. "Why do you women insist upon so many layers? What do you think men can do? See through seven layers of clothing?" She laughed a bit and let go of his shaft to finish undressing herself for him. He watched for a moment before removing his shirt and throwing it to the ground as well.

As soon as the last bit of clothing left her body he leaned over her and kissed her again before biting down on her shoulder hard enough for her to bleed, marking her as his and only his. She moaned a bit in pain and pleasure before looking up at him as he moved from her shoulder.

"Does the boy know where you go when you tell him you won't be in?" He asked as he stroked the hair from her face. She sighed and kissed him again.

"Stop... asking about him... everything's fine," she managed to say between kisses before she deepened the last one and pulled him down on top of her. She moaned as his stomach pressed against her and she could feel his erection rubbing against her sex. He broke the kiss with a soft growl, supporting himself on his elbows to keep his weight off of her small frame.

"I just don't want the little brat getting where he shouldn't be is all," he said as he gave her small bites down her shoulders. The bites turned to a trail of kisses down from her collarbone and between the valley of her breasts.

"Mmh," she agreed though she honestly was not listening, her focus solely on the sound of his voice and the feel of his lips on her skin as they left a trail of tingling sensations down her chest. She gave another soft moan at the feeling and ran a hand through his hair.

He took her left breast into his mouth and suckled it softly, nibbling at the nipple and biting it lightly. "We can't afford to be caught by the lad," he said as he moved from the left to the right, his right hand taking over the place of his mouth and pinching her nipple softly. She moaned as he worked and arched her hips, rubbing them against his own and closing her eyes as his erection moved against her clit.

"I gave him some gin... it'll be alright..." she breathed out softly, stroking his hair. Moving his lips back to her own he kissed her again softly before moving himself lower over her and spreading her thighs apart just a bit more. He placed his head between her thighs and licked slowly across her entrance and over her clit, swirling his tongue over it and then biting her inner thighs softly.

She arched her back letting out a louder moan. "Mmm," she encouraged him, arching her hips. He smirked and used his thumb to rub circles over her clit as he delved his tongue into her entrance. She gasped as she felt his tongue enter her and moaned louder. "Oh, Sweeney..." she sighed, pushing against the back of his head. Not wanting her to finish just yet he gave one final bite to her inner thigh and leaned back over her to kiss her again. She reacted eagerly, her hands going into his hair once more.

Breaking the kiss he leaned back and looked at all the bite marks and bruises on her neck and shoulders from his kissing and smirked. "I believe I've pleasured you enough, Nell." She bit her lips and pulled him back down, kissing him again before whispering in his ear.

"Get inside of me..." she tried her most seductive tone, her hand grabbing his shaft and stroking it as she spoke. He groaned and moved himself between her legs. She let go of his erection with a smirk and wrapped her arms around his neck. He guided himself into her and shivered slightly at the warmth and the wetness that immediately surrounded the tension in his shaft. He began pumping into her at a rough pace, biting down on her shoulder and drawing blood again. She moaned loudly ignoring the pain and focusing on the pleasure.

Wanting to go in further he pulled out and turned her onto her stomach, lifting her hips into the air and re-entering her swiftly. She gasped and groaned as she felt him deeper in her body. He gripped her hips tightly and grunted as he thrusted harder. "Mr. T..." she moaned, gripping the bedsheets and closing her eyes in pleasure. Using one of his hands he teased her clit as he pumped and she moaned as loudly as she could, her orgasm following half a minute later. Feeling her walls pulse and tighten around him it only took only another few thrusts for him to release inside of her with a low moan.

He pulled out slowly, watching as he did so and turned her back onto her back looking down at her. "You're bleeding, Mrs. Lovett," he commented with a smirk as he assessed her shoulders and neck. "In several places."

Her eyes fluttered open and her breathing slowed as she looked up at him, her eyes clouded over from the pleasure. "Because of you..." she said slowly. Laying down next to her he put an arm over her stomach and stroked her side softly. Pressing a kiss to her cheek her nuzzled the side of her face softly.

"Because of you, Mrs. Lovett."

She smirked and turned towards him, snuggling against his chest and stroking his chest hair softly with one of her hands. He turned onto his back and she laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. She laid her own arm over his stomach, running her hand over the hardened muscles.

"Good night, Mrs. Lovett," he whispered softly into her ear before resting his head against her own.

"Night, love," she whispered softly, kissing him lightly. "Good night..."


	5. Perhaps it Wasn't so Silly

**AN: This fanfiction is the rewriting of a roleplay between myself, C, and my friend E on Tumblr. Our roleplay blogs are: TheBarberTodd (me) and IamMrsLovett (E). We wanted to do this so that any future followers that did not know all the drama that goes on between our characters would have a reference to look at without having to dig through our archives to do so! (Especially since we tend to have very long roleplay threads that go on for a long time XD) **

_**Chapter Five: Perhaps it Wasn't so Silly**_

Over the next month Sweeney had taken to sleeping with Mrs. Lovett in her bedroom or in his parlor a few nights a week. Nellie never complained when she walked into her bedroom and saw him sitting in her chair by the window nor when he would request her presence upstairs in his shop. When it came to him 'no' just was not an answer in her vocabulary. As for Mr. Todd, he could not deny that he was becoming accustomed to her presence at night and completely ignored the fact that she crossed his mind increasingly as the month went by. He even found that he looked forward to when Nellie would bring breakfast or sit with him for meals though he of course chalked it down to her importance in his revenge and nothing more.

After a rather ardent night together, Mrs. Lovett woke in the tonsorial parlor next to Mr. Todd, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm across his waist. Smiling she yawned slightly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She pressed a kiss to his chest afterward and nuzzled closer to him. As she started to close her eyes again to sleep for just a bit longer she felt a sudden dizziness in her head as another one of her recent headaches took over her.

For the past week now she had been getting headaches and she could not figure out what was causing them to save her life but whatever it was made her sit up in bed slowly and groan, pressing a hand to her temple. Adding to the headache she felt a sudden nauseous feeling in the back of her throat and the pit of her stomach. Moving to the edge of the bed she sat up and tried to fight the feeling, looking down at the floorboards.

In the bed Mr. Todd woke, suddenly feeling a bit cold from her absence against his side. Looking to her spot on the bed he noticed the way she was sitting and sat up himself. "Is everything alright, Mrs. Lovett?" He asked as he watched her.

"I just... I feel a bit dizzy," she said softly, frowning a bit as the feeling persisted despite her efforts to swallow it down.

He ran a hand over his face and stood, pulling his pants on and lacing them up. "Drink some gin, settle your stomach. It's barely even light out and you look as if you're going to be sick." As he spoke he walked to the counter and took his shirt, pulling it over his head and buttoning the cuffs of his sleeve.

Nellie shook her head a bit, immediately regretting doing so as her headache sent pangs of pain through her skull at the movement. Her eyes widened as the feeling of sickness became stronger and stood up quickly, fighting the dizzy feeling that came with that and throwing her dress over her head and gathering the rest of her clothes off of the parlor floor.

He watched as she frantically gathered what she could find and smirked a bit. "What, did you forget to tell the lad you loved him or something?" He joked, thinking her rather comical in this state despite her obvious illness. She waved her hand at him not really paying attention and rushed from the barber shop and down into her personal rooms. Flinging herself into the bathroom she shut the door and dropped her clothing to the ground before throwing up into the toilet.

He had shrugged her behavior off and had already finished dressing for the day, pulling his black fingerless gloves onto his hands. After he made the bed and set up his shop for the day he headed downstairs and into the kitchen for a light breakfast. As he passed the bathroom he heard the retching sounds as she continued to throw up and paused to tap on the door. "Mrs. Lovett? Are you alright in there?"

Nellie groaned softly and stood slowly, her head swimming and the dizziness fading slightly now that she had relived the nauseousness. "Mm... yeah," she answered softly, taking the cup of water left on the counter and rinsing her mouth out. She coughed a bit and sighed, starting to pick her clothes up and dress herself properly.

Sweeney accepted her answer wordlessly and went on to the kitchen where he took two slices of bread from the bread box. He set them on a plate and walked out to the pie shop, kicking a sleeping Toby as he walked past him and setting his plate on the counter. "Come on, get up boy. Your mistress is not feeling well so get to work." His tone was gruff and Toby swallowed and complied without a single objection, running off to the parlor to straighten up in there.

In the bathroom Nellie had finished dressing herself and fixing her hair. Walking slowly and deliberately, hoping that doing so would keep her headache away, she made her way out into the pie shop and sat on one of the stools by the counter. He watched her as she walked and walked behind the counter, producing a bottle of gin and a glass. "Drink some gin, it will settle your stomach," he stated stiffly as he slid the glass and the half-empty bottle over to her.

Without another word he walked back around the counter and tore his bread into slices, trying to ignore the fact that she was watching him. Sighing she poured herself some gin and took a small sip. "I just threw up," she commented though she knew that he had heard. As she spoke she watched his face for any signs that he was concerned about her but as usual he hid his emotions well and focused solely on tearing the bread and eating it in small pieces.

As he picked at his bread he tried to force away the sudden feeling that this was quite familiar to him and kept his gaze away from her even though he could feel pin-pricks of concern for the baker. She swallowed the rest of her gin and gripped the edge of the counter with her hands as the dizzy feeling emerged again and her head began to pound once more. "God, I feel so dizzy..." she muttered softly as she closed her eyes and swallowed through the thick feeling in her throat.

While she spoke he looked up at her again and re-examined her features. He could tell that she was going to throw up again soon by the look on her face and the fact that she kept swallowing trying to avoid her fate. He thought over the past week or so with her complaints of migraines and a headache and the fact that she seemed particularly sensitive and receptive when he fondled her breasts. _'No,'_ he thought to himself as he pushed the immediate thought from his mind and instead thought of various illnesses that could be causing her to feel as she was. _'It's impossible, she's simply ill...'_

She swallowed hard and looked up at him, catching his gaze and fighting her own conclusion that was forming in the back of her mind. "I... I think I won't open the shop today..." she whispered softly, pushing away from the counter and standing again. "I don't feel well." He nodded and beckoned her over to him. _'Just to be certain,' _he thought as she came slowly towards him. "Nell... are you quite sure you are alright to be out of bed?" He asked as he examined her more closely now that she was standing in front of him.

Nellie shook her head slowly and pouted slightly as she continued to fight the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. He placed a cold hand on her forehead in another effort to blame illness. "You're not feverish," he said stiffly, taking his hand away. "Did you eat something yet today?" She shook her head slowly.

"No, not yet. I know I should and I do feel a bit hungry but I still feel sick." He nodded and moved his bread plate closer to her. She sat down slowly and frowned slightly as she started thinking over any other possibilities for her condition but she was reaching the same conclusion that he was ardently pushing away.

"Have you any other... strange feelings?" He asked as she took a small bight of bread and forced herself to swallow it.

"I just feel dizzy and tired..." she answered slowly as she ate another piece of bread. Almost immediately she regretted the decision and stood again. "And I'm about to throw up," she warned before quickly going back to the bathroom and emptying what little she had just eaten into the basin.

Taking in all of the information and coming to no other conclusion, Mr. Todd stared darkly at the door she had left through. Taking the bottle of gin he took a long drink and thought about how the last time he had seen a woman in her condition personally. It had only been a year into their marriage and Lucy, whom would get sick briefly with the seasonal changes had begun suffering more severe ailments. She had thrown up for about three weeks throughout the day and had had headaches and dizzy spells regularly. Not to mention her breasts had become tender just as Nellie's were becoming so now.

In the bathroom Nellie used what was left in the cup of water to wash her mouth out again and walked slowly back to the pie shop. "Mr. T..." she said softly, swallowing the fear and the nerves she felt flowing through her body. She knew exactly what was wrong, she had been through it before several times though it had never lasted. This had been something she had dreamed of for a long time, especially with him, but she knew he would not like this in fact he might even become violent towards her if she was not careful. She doubted anyways whether or not the condition would stay given her past with this. She had failed so many times.

"Mrs. Lovett," he answered cruelly, glaring at her as she stood there. She swallowed, knowing that he had figured it out for himself and fought her fear to press on. Taking a sharp breath she swallowed one last time and continued.

"I think... I think I _might _be pregnant..."

He bit back his aggression not wanting to hurt her despite the anger, the guilt, and the frustration he felt building within him. "I see," he said tensely, standing up and going to the tonsorial parlor without another word to her. As he went he tried to push away the intense guilt he felt that he had allowed Mrs. Lovett to become this way and the guilt he felt by allowing anyone other than Lucy to take over her duties as his wife, dead as she may be.

She took a shaky breath and followed him. "Mr. T, we have to talk about it!" Her voice was frantic and rattled with nerves as she entered the tonsorial parlor behind him. "We have to."

"No, we don't," he said cruelly as he glared at her. "I have a child, Mrs. Lovett and she is not yours." As he spoke he advanced towards her, the anger in his tone building with each step that he took. She backed against the wall and swallowed unable to look up at him in fear. Her heart beat quickened from the stress of the situation and she could feel her palms getting clammy with nerves.

"I... I know that. I'm not trying to be Johanna's mother..." she stammered out. "She's Lucy's... and it's fine. B-But... we're not talking about Johanna, love, we're talking about the child that's going to be ours..." As she finished she glanced up at him and her heart jumped in fear at the look he was giving her. She was sure she was going to die or that he was going to harm her. There simply was not any way she was coming out of this unscathed if she came out at all.

"There is no child in the world who could be ours," he answered cruelly. She took a sharp breath at his words and felt her heart pang with the familiar aching that he caused in her. Holding back her tears she matched his gaze despite herself.

"It still exists whether you want it or not." Somehow despite the fact that she was shaking her words had come out firm and clear. "You can't change that."

At her words he had advanced towards her again until he was less than an inch from her face causing her to close her eyes tightly in preparation for the hit. However, he did not harm her, rather he turned quickly and left the shop altogether. Nellie gasped and opened her eyes, watching him leave and trying to catch her breath. "Mr. T!" She called, her voice breaking and the tears sliding out of the corners of her eyes.

He ignored her however and left the building entirely going swiftly down fleet street and was gone from sight by the time that Nellie even managed to get to the bottom of the stairs. Sobbing she went back inside and laid down on his bed hoping that he would be back before sunset even if he had just broken her heart.

***I'm really sorry if this chapter is crap, I'm having a hard time focusing and honestly waiting won't make it better. Also I'm sorry about how sometimes it can take forever for me to update and other times it doesn't. I just have so much schoolwork and house work and actual work and family stuff and yeah. Sorry!***


	6. At Least He Came Back

**AN: This fanfiction is the rewriting of a roleplay between myself, C, and my friend E on Tumblr. Our roleplay blogs are: TheBarberTodd (me) and IamMrsLovett (E). We wanted to do this so that any future followers that did not know all the drama that goes on between our characters would have a reference to look at without having to dig through our archives to do so! (Especially since we tend to have very long roleplay threads that go on for a long time XD) **

_**Chapter Six: At Least He Came Back:**_

Two weeks had passed since Mr. Todd had left in an angry rush. He had not wanted to go back, not wanting to face what was there. A child by Mrs. Lovett? That simply was not possible and could never be. However, he soon found that operating on the streets was not very fruitful. Not only was he completely exposed and therefore could not betray his customers but he was reduced to shaving men of less means than those he was used to. When finally he had become sick of the little profit and poor conditions he braced himself and made his way back to Fleet Street.

As the pie shop came into view he got an unsettled feeling, not only from the waiting argument but also because the shop appeared to be closed and nothing looked like it had been touched since he had left. Shaking it off he entered and made his way into the parlor where he was surprised to see that Mrs. Lovett was sleeping on the couch instead of in her bedroom or that she was even sleeping at all given the time of the day. Her face was not peaceful as it usually was when she slept beside him but wet from recent tears and frozen in a look of discomfort.

Sighing, Sweeney sat in the chair opposite the couch and cleared his throat. She woke up with a gasp and sat up quickly on the couch, expecting a burglar or some other menace. When she saw that it was Mr. Todd she swallowed and looked down, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Mrs. Lovett," he said slowly, examining her and preparing the argument in his mind. "Sleeping during the day, shop closed... whatever's gotten into you?" The tone of his voice took on a cruel edge as he glared at her though he tried to suppress the anger he felt in her presence. She merely swallowed again and took a shaky breath.

"M-Mr. T," she managed to say weakly, "you came back..."

"I did," he confirmed, sitting up straighter in his seat. "I'm re-opening the tonsorial parlor. I need it." As he spoke Mrs. Lovett kept her eyes shut and swallowed hard at his words. When he finished she opened them slowly and stood, brushing her dress straight.

"You'll pay a rent," she spoke softly before passing him and going into the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow having expected an argument from her and followed her slowly. "I fully intend on paying you as I always have, Mrs. Lovett." As he spoke he dug into his pocket and took what earnings he had made on the streets and placed them on the counter.

"Good," she said coldly, ignoring the coins and refusing to meet his demanding gaze.

"Come now, Mrs. Lovett," he tried sweetly. "I did come back." She bit her tongue and looked at him, meeting his gaze slowly.

"Oh, right. You did "come back," didn't you?" She swallowed again and bit the corner of her lip as she searched his gaze. "You know, I've been crying every day, every _night _since you left? Did you know that? And now you're here, you're finally here again and the only reason why, and don't you dare play me for a fool on this, the only reason why you came back to stay is because you "need" to. You don't want me. You "need" to have your fucking revenge." She sighed shakily and looked away from him, waving her hand dismissively at him. "Just go upstairs in your shop and stare and that bloody window mumbling to yourself about the fucking past."

With every sentence he could feel the anger flaring high within him. He knew what she was saying was true but he also could not deny that somewhere in him he had missed her and that whether he wanted to or not, he did care for her on some level. "Watch yourself, Mrs. Lovett. You're placing yourself in a very... precarious situation."

"You already broke me, Mr. T," she warned back softly, meeting his gaze. "I'm not afraid anymore. You can't break a broken heart." Eleanor pushed past him and walked out to the shop, changing the sign to 'open' in an attempt to be busy so that he would have no choice but to leave her be.

Sighing he followed her out and immediately flipped the sign back over, grabbing her by the wrist causing her to gasp and dragging her into the parlor. Once there he locked the door and leaned against it, preventing her from leaving. She looked away from him, holding her arms across her stomach like a shield; protection more for her than the baby. Going towards her he put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to sit onto the sofa in front of him.

"Now listen to me, Mrs. Lovett and listen well. I have returned, I will pay your rent, I do not expect you to... adhere to my needs but I expect to be respected as a partner. I will be... staying." He spoke authoritatively and she kept her gaze low, shaking slightly and holding tightly to her sides. "And I suppose," he said slowly, calming a bit, "if it will return you to a more tolerable state, I will provide for whatever it is you need during your... condition."

Hearing him say the word 'condition' she looked back up at him sharply, glaring. "I'm _pregnant_, dear. You can fucking say it. I'm pregnant and you're the father and we're not even married. All these people will think I'm a fucking whore thanks to you." When she finished she got up and attempted to go past him but he forced her back into her seat.

"If that's what you're bloody worried about then we'll fucking well just tell everyone we've married. Will that make your insufferable attitude stop?" She bit her tongue and he sighed in frustration.

"They're not stupid. I don't have a bloody ring."

"If I get you a bloody ring will you stop this nonsense?" She sighed heavily and met his gaze, nodding a bit and biting her cheek.

"Fine then, it's settled. Until then clean yourself up and start behaving appropriately. You'll draw attention otherwise." Sighing again he looked at her more closely and noticed the trembling. Softening his voice he spoke again. "Come here."

She let out a small breath and closed her eyes for a moment before standing slowly and coming closer to him. Putting his hand on her hips he drew her close and wrapped his arms around her firmly. He had meant to comfort her but the embrace was not entirely warm. Still she closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest, attempting not to cry. "I missed you..."

"I know," he said gruffly, breaking the embrace. "Now go on, you have a shop to open."

Nellie looked up and smiled softly though she could feel her heart aching. She had known the embrace meant less to him than it did to her but it still hurt when he pushed her away. Going to the parlor door she unlocked it and went out into the pie shop to re-open it. As soon as she had gone he sighed and ran a hand over his face.

While the argument he had anticipated had not occurred he knew he still had work to do if he was truly going to bring things back to the way that they had been. He just could not keep looking at her, shaking and tearful. At first he had thought it annoyance but he knew whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not, it bothered him when she was upset.


End file.
